The Great Escape
by Atreyl
Summary: It's Mello's and Matt's last day together, and Matt wants to enjoy it as much as possible. He wants to believe that he and Mello could make it out alive tomorrow. But he also knows that you can't escape your fate.
1. Chapter 1

**The Great Escape  
**

Matt:

Mello's sitting on the couch. His blond hair is in its usually place, the leather shining as sunlight filters through our dusty window. He's facing opposite me, though I can't tell whether it's because he doesn't want to look at me or he just wants to look that way. He notices me staring.

"Okay, let's go over the plan again," he says.

Seconds later, my brain registers his voice; the voice that I'd heard nearly my whole childhood and up 'til now. It's changed, though. Deeper.

"I don't want to," I tell him. I eye the PSP that's sitting on our coffee table, beside Mello's chocolate bar. We've put off our addictions since this morning. I wonder if it was the anxiety; I mean, after all, there was a 98% chance we would die tomorrow.

And we were wasting our last day together.

"Up," I order. It's unusual for me to act like I was in charge, but it's my last day, anyway. Might as well live it to the fullest.

Mello glares at me. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" he hisses. "We need to go over the plan. It needs to be executed perfectly. We can't mess up tomorrow, Matt. We can't afford to do that."

"I've come to memorize the plan so well that I practically see your words imprinted in my eyelids when I close my eyes," I say. Then my tone switches to a hint of pleading. "Why can't we just...enjoy today?"

_Pictures of you, pictures of me, remind us all of what we could've been_

Mello's eyes narrow. "Because I said so! Do you want to die in vain, Mail Jeevas? No? Then sit your ass down and go over the fucking plan with me!" He shouts.

Normally, I would have obeyed. Not now. But before I could protest, he adds softly, "I'm sorry, Matt. I'm just...stressed, okay?" He gives an apologetic smile.

"Then let's go out. And this time, we'll hold hands." I smile at the thought.

"But the people would--"

"Screw the people. It's probably our last day living, our last night, so why not let loose?"

There's a pause. Mello bites his lip and I can see those gears in his genius mind turning, debating. "Okay," he says finally. My heart speeds up at his approval. "Only if you promise not to forget the plan."

I grin. "Of course not!" I turn and speed off to change. I hear Mello chuckling as I pull on my striped shirt.

Once we're changed, I grab Mello's hand and run out of our apartment. Stumbling onto asphalt, I scream, "We're _free!_" and take off running again, half-dragging Mello behind me.

_I can't sleep alone anymore; I need you here with me  
_

We run until we reach the neighborhood park. There's some people scattered around, but I don't care as I plant my feet firmly on the grass. The fountain trickles softly behind me. Mello's barely panting, although I am, because I was never one who exercised vigorously.

"Idiot." Mello jokingly hits my arm. He's in a good mood now.

"Mhm," I murmur. I grab his shoulders, spinning him to face me and press my lips against his. They're soft and the taste of chocolate lingers. After a few seconds I pull away.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you'd feel me somehow_

"Public display of affection, huh?" Mello smirks a little.

"Love you," I whisper in his ear.

Mello's breath hitches but he doesn't say anything. I'm a little disappointed.

"Next," I tell him as I pull him to an ice cream stand. "We are going to get three scoops of ice cream, take a nice walk down that path over there, and have a nice time."

I order a mix of vanilla and chocolate, because I don't like too much chocolate at a time. Predictably, Mello gets three scoops of chocolate ice cream. As we lap at our ice cream, we start walking down the path I'd seen earlier.

"Matt," Mello says. I turn to him. "Sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"It's okay." My gaze wanders around as we continue walking. There are a few teenagers up ahead, laughing and having a good time. For a second, I envy the way they can just...cut loose without worrying.

"Hm. I can't believe I'm actually jealous of them," I hear Mello grumble.

I squeeze his hand reassuringly. "That makes two of us, then, right?" I grin.

Mello continues to lick at his ice cream. "What's that over there?" He points somewhere to the right. I follow his finger and see the thing that has piqued Mello's interest. It's a factory, and probably abandoned, by the look of it.

I tell him, "A factory." Then my eyes widen the tiniest bit when I see the rusted sign. "A chocolate factory."

Mello barely suppresses a squeal of joy. "Let's go!" He starts to drag me to the factory.

"You know it's abandoned, right?" I ask him as I let myself be dragged.

"Yes." Mello's looking at it, almost hungrily. "I just want to see the inside."

I was never too fond of dark places, but I go in after him because I want him to be happy.

_Let me light up the sky, light it up for you. Let me tell you why: I would die for you._

We spend a few minutes wandering in darkness. My ice cream was long since gone, so I made sure to hold on to Mello's hand with one hand, and hold on to the edge of his vest with my other.

How does he _see_ in these circumstances?

There's a loud click followed by a whirring sound. My grip on Mello's hand tightens and my foot takes a step backward, ready to get out of there.

"Wait," Mello whispers. I automatically obey.

There's a blinding light and I shut my eyes.

"Oh, wow," Mello gasps.

Slowly, I peel my eyes open. The light takes a while to get used to, but I'm able to see the conveyor belt. Various machines poked out of random places. "Matty, look." Mello tugs on my hand like an excited child. "There's a giant chocolate mixer over there."

We make our way to the right side of the room, where a _big _metal bowl rests, a huge whisk hanging above it. I trail my hand across the edge of the bowl and feel the dust I gather. "This place must have been abandoned for a long time," I say.

Mello sneezes. "Yeah." He sniffs.

We spend a few more hours looking around. Sometime during that, Mello says, "We should go."

"Are you sure?" I study his expression. "You seem to like it here. Are you sure you don't want to camp out here instead?" I ask jokingly.

"I'm sure." Mello laughs.

So, a while later, we were back at our crummy apartment. The moment we step in, our hands separate. Mello walks off to our room to change. I go to the bathroom because I changed there earlier. When I'm fitted in a white t-shirt and gray boxers, I come back out to the living room. The window is still open, showing off the pretty night sky. Mello was still change him, though I can't blame him. It would take me longer to get out of leather.

Soon enough he comes out...wearing the same thing. Once he sees me, he laughs at my outfit.

I pout. "I thought you were changing."

"Actually..." Mello smiles. "I was just looking to where I misplaced this." And he hands me a small, velvet box.

My breath hitches as my hand numbly receives it. Trembling slightly, I open it. It's a ring.

"Promise me, Mail Jeevas, that if we live, you'll marry me," Mello says.

"Y-yes," I murmur, sliding the ring onto my finger. Then Mello crashes into me, thin arms looping around my waist in a hug. The impact hits me almost as hard as reality does. Instantly, I'm remind that _this _was our last night together.

I start sobbing into Mello's shoulder. It wasn't fair! Why did _we_ have to die so Kira would be captured? Wasn't there another way?

_For the life of me, I could not believe that we'd ever die for there sins; we were merely freshmen_

"Ssh, it's okay." Mello runs his hand gently down my spine, rocking us back and forth slowly.

_I wish I didn't know inside that it won't work out for you and I_

I cry harder at the lie.

_Forget what he did. Can I be the kid for your soul to keep?_

My cries slowly subside as Mello keeps rocking us.

"I don't want to do the plan," I say against his shoulder.

"I don't either," Mello admits. "But we have to. We have to stop Kira; thousands of innocent have already died because of him. L died because of him. We have to avenge him."

I sigh sadly. Mello wasn't changing his mind. "Okay. Then promise me something, too." I hold him away at arm's length.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll escape if you have the chance."

"Matt, you know--"

"Promise!"

"...Okay. Yes, I promise. But you know that that's impossible, right?"

"I know. It can't hurt to hope, though."

_So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong, hold me when I'm scared, and love me when I'm gone_

The next morning comes too quickly for my liking. Mello wakes me from sleep, wakes me from the good dream where me and Mello can just be together with no complications.

Before I knew it, Mello and I were preparing to take off in our driveway. I kiss him, hopefully not for the last time, and say, "I love you Mihael Keehl."

"I love you, too, Mail," he says when we pull apart. He glances at the clock in my car. "It's time." He slips on his helmet and revs his engine.

I start the car.

"Bye," I whisper.

"See you." Mello flashes me an encouraging smile through the helmet's screen and then he speeds off.

I study the ring on my finger and I decide, _I will do this for him._

_I could die for you, oh this life I choose_

In the blink of an eye_, _I've thrown the smoke bomb into the crowd.

In a flash, I'm being chased.

And in a split second, I've skidded to a stop in the middle of a clearing. I unbuckle my seat belt as fast as I can, trying to get out of my Camaro at the same time. The sound of tires screeching to a stop rings to my ears, fueling my adrenaline.

I run for my life, literally. Though it wasn't just my life. It was _our _life. Mine and Mello's.

My eyes spot a car parked innocently. I pick the lock hurriedly, get in, and hotwire the engine. And then I'm driving, full speed, to the town of Nagano.

This was our plan. If I ever survived, Mello told me to follow him and wait for him. Because, he'd said, we were now one. If I lived, then he lived, too.

Because, really, neither of us could live without each other.

_Hit the ground, look around, but you're nowhere to be found_

I park the stolen car outside the church where I saw a delivery truck rumbling through. I walk out of the car and stride towards the back of the truck. Without hesitation, I've shot the lock and it comes away with a clang. I yank the door open and see that woman, Takada, in the midst of writing something on a piece of paper.

Mello's name.

Then my arm was outstretched, finger pressing on the trigger. The shot goes off. A thump follows as a body hits the ground dead, though I'm not sure if it was Takada's or Mello's.

_"Matty,_" Someone hisses, and I feel arms wrapping themselves around me. The gun clatters to the ground as I envelop Mello's _living _body with my own arms. I smile happily through my tears, because we _made it._

We were _alive._

"We're getting married," Mello murmurs, "right after we change our names."

I can't deny that.

_Throw it away, forget yesterday, we'll make the great escape; we won't hear a word they say. They don't know us anyway_

I set the truck on fire as we walk out of the church. It burns up, swallowing the truck, Takada's body, and also nasty memories.

Mello's gaze lingers a while on the burning Cathedral.

"Let it burn," I whisper to him. He nods and turns to me, smiling.

Hands clasped, we walk away, leaving the burning ruins, as well as the old life that we used to have. Because now, we would start over, as Matt and Mello Keehl.

_Watch it burn, let it die, 'cause we are finally free tonight_

_

* * *

_**Matt was the bride. ^^**

**Anyway, the italicized and centered lines are lyrics from various songs. They are(in order of appearance):  
**

**Pictures of You -- The Last Goodnight**

**Nightmare -- MSG**

**Iris -- The Googoo Dolls**

**Light Up the Sky -- Yellowcard**

**The Freshmen -- The Verve Pipe**

**Wishes -- Superchick**

**Some of Us -- Starsailor**

**When I'm Gone -- Three Doors Down  
**

**I Could Die for You -- Red Hot Chili Peppers**

**Touchdown Turnaround -- Hellogoodbye**

**The Great Escape -- Boys Like Girls**

**Hope you liked this!  
**


	2. Alternate Ending

**Hey! You guys weren't expecting me to do this, weren't you? Heh, well, anyway, I decided to make an alternate ending, where our beloved duo does...um...pass away.**

**So, if you were fine with the regular ending, you don't have to read this!**

**

* * *

**

**The Great Escape  
**

**(Alternate Ending)**

Matt:

_In a flash, I'm being chased..._

And in a split second, I've skidded to a stop in the middle of a clearing.

My heart clenches. This was it.

_Mello...  
_

I take a deep breath as I hear that woman's bodyguards' cars come to a stop behind my Camaro. In front of me, another array of black sedans have already parked. Now men with guns start to step out.

_...if by some weird freak you can hear me, I want to let you know that if you would have asked me to marry you, I would have said yes._

On the inside, I'm freaking out, and every nerve yells at me to just step on it and attempt to run them over. Common sense shrieks at me to do something, other than get out of the car.

_I want to let you know that I really enjoyed our last day together._

My body does otherwise. I don't feel my arm reaching down to my side, where my gun was. I don't feel my left hand grasp the car's door handle, and I don't feel my feet against the road as I step out.

_I want to let you know that I'm sorry for those times when I made you angry._

"Come on, since when were the Japanese allowed to carry such big guns like that?" My voice is strong and doesn't waver. My heart, though, is beating wildly and I'm getting dizzy. Still, I continue to talk, "Listen, I'm connected to Takada's kidnapper."

And the moment I saw them raise their arms, wielding their guns, I knew there was no hope.

_I want to let you know that I love you._

"You've probably got a lot to ask me," I press on bravely. "You aren't going to shoot--"

And the inevitable happens.

_And, lastly, I want to let you know that even though you spent a whole lot of your life dedicated to beating Near, to becoming number one...I want to let you know that all the years I've known you, you were always _my _number one._

The first bullet strikes through me.

_So, do this for me, Mello; show them that we, together, can surpass L and catch Kira, even if it costs one of our lives._

Pain shoots up through my body, but I refuse to cry out, because I know that I'd cry out Mello's name. And if I do, it will only slow Mello down. I know he's watching all this unfold.

_Stay alive, for me. And when your time comes--I hope that won't be soon, because you have so much to live for--I'll be waiting for you, right here. And we'll endure whatever punishment Hell will have for us. Together._

I slump down against my car. The cigarette from my lips goes out, like my life, and it falls onto the ground with a barely audible sound._  
_


End file.
